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The Name That Meets Our Need - Encouragement for Today - February 20, 2018

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10 (NIV)

“Who is your mommy talking to?”

I was on my knees with a mop rag in my hand and a prayer on my lips when the raspy whisper reached my ears. I glanced up to see my young son, Lukas, and our little neighbor boy standing in the kitchen doorway, their faces flushed from a game of backyard soccer.

I rose to my feet to greet them, but before I could say a word, my 5-year-old answered the question that dangled in the space between us: “My mommy’s just talking to her friend.”

Our 4-foot guest craned his neck and scanned from wall to ceiling in search of my conversation mate. “What’s her friend’s name?” he asked curiously.

My son shrugged his shoulders and flashed me a smile, “Just Jesus.”

The boys spotted the cookies I’d set on the kitchen table, so they raced across the room to enjoy an afternoon snack. But when their conversation shifted to preschool chatter, my thoughts still lingered on my son’s guileless words.

“Just Jesus.”

I’d sung that name in Sunday school as a child and scribbled it in my journals as a teen. I’d whispered that name in my prayers and hummed it over my babies. But I’d never realized that just Jesus had a name to meet all my needs until a wise woman ushered a simple challenge.

I was in a season of silent discouragement at the time, overwhelmed with the daily demands of my growing family. Although my life was filled with good things, I woke each day with a wordless sense of dread and fell into bed each night with a nagging sense of disappointment.

When I finally shared my struggle with a group of women in my Bible study, a wiser, older friend wrapped her arms around my weary frame and pulled me close. “Honey,” she said, “you’ve got a Savior who has a name to meet your needs. You’ve just gotta call on Him.”

She pulled out her Bible right then and there and flipped those time-worn pages to Psalm 9. With tender reverence, she read me these beautiful words found in verse 10: “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

She gave me one more hug and promised to pray. Then I went home determined to seek Jesus in the midst of my daily grind.

As I started studying His names in Scripture (there are more than 700 of them!), I discovered that every name of Jesus reveals a unique piece of His heart for us. And each name invites us to trust Him in a special way.

When we’re anxious, we can trust Him to be our Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

When we need assistance, we can bank on Him as our Helper. (Hebrews 13:6)

When we’re alone, we can believe He is Immanuel, God-With-Us. (Matthew 1:23)

When we feel weak, we can rely on Him as our Strong Tower. (Proverbs 18:10)

I began calling out to Jesus as I pressed through the hours. I talked to Him while I folded laundry and meandered to the grocery store, while I lingered in the sunshine and as I rocked babies in the dark. And the more I called my Savior by name, the more I found Him to be faithful and true.

Eventually, the name of Jesus became so much more than a mere reminder of my faithful Savior. The name of Jesus became a catalyst for my faith. The name of Jesus didn’t just shift my thoughts to the Friend I hold dear; the Name of Jesus anchored my heart to the only hope that holds.

The cookies had disappeared, and the boys were making plans for their afternoon play. They murmured thank-you through a mouthful of crumbs, then headed back outside, leaving me alone with my mop rag and my sticky kitchen floor.

Me and just Jesus.

Dear God, may the Name of Your Son be the cry of my heart and the anchor of my soul. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:Psalm 124:8, “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (NIV)

RELATED RESOURCES:
Ever wondered why it’s so hard to keep our hearts and eyes fixed on Jesus? Join us for the next First 5 study, Prone to Wander: The study of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah. In the first portion of our study on the Minor Prophets, you’ll read the constant plea of the prophets to the Israelites: "Come, let us return to the LORD" (Hosea 6:1). The study starts March 12. Click here to learn more!

If you’re a wife, you have the privilege of serving as a mighty prayer warrior for your husband. Yet sometimes, the task seems overwhelming. In her book, Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe, Sharon Jaynes maps out 16 landmarks to help you consistently and effectively cover your husband in prayer — get your copy today, FREE with a donation of your choice!

CONNECT:
For more encouragement and a free printable to help you call on Jesus by name, visit Alicia Bruxvoort’s blog today.

REFLECT AND RESPOND:
Read the Gospels, and make a list of all the names for Jesus. Which name speaks to a need you have right now?